Not Applicable
This invention relates to obstacles used by skateboarders, bikers and in-line skaters to enhance their individual ability and enjoyment. It relates more particularly to an obstacle referred to as a quarter pipe.
A quarter pipe, as the name suggests, is an obstruction which has a shape corresponding to one quadrant of a cylinder with an entry edge of the cylinder being located next to the ground. The quarter pipe thus constitutes a ramp which redirects a rider entering the ramp upward approximately 90xc2x0 to a platform, cornice or rail which allows the rider to reverse direction and roll down the quarter pipe to ground level.
Usually such quarter pipes are relatively massive unitary obstacles made of reinforced concrete or the like and because of their cost, they are usually only found in parks and other public spaces. They are not designed for home use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a quarter pipe which can be sold in a knock-down condition and assembled by the average purchaser for home use.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a quarter pipe which is easy to assemble and, when assembled, is rugged enough to withstand prolonged use by skateboarders, bikers and in-line skaters.
A further object of the invention is to provide a quarter pipe which, although portable, is quite stable in use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a knock-down quarter pipe composed of a minimum number of parts which can be assembled in a minimum amount of time without requiring any tools.
Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the following detailed description and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
Briefly, our quarter pipe comprises a base supported by a plurality of legs which extend up to a raised platform or deck. A curved ramp extends from an edge of the deck down to the ground in front of the base, the ramp being composed of a wedge-like entry section adjacent to the ground and one or more concavely curved ramp sections which extend from the entry section up to the deck. Preferably, the upper end of the ramp sections transition to the deck by way of a coping rail which may function as a grind rail for skateboarders and skaters using the quarter pipe. Preferably also, a handrail extends up from the rear edge of the deck opposite the ramp sections as a safety precaution. Also, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aforesaid base and entry sections are designed to be filled with a relatively heavy fluid medium such as water or sand in order to increase the weight of the apparatus and lower its center of gravity. This helps to stabilize the quarter pipe and prevent it from moving around when in use.
As we shall see, the quarter pipe is composed of a minimum number of parts which are relatively inexpensive to make in quantity and which can be assembled very easily using only a screwdriver when the unit is first set up and no tools thereafter. Therefor, it can be sold in a knock-down condition for assembly by the purchaser. Furthermore, when not in use, it can be disassembled without any tools and stored in a minimum amount of space. Therefor it should prove to be a popular and marketable toy product.